Fairbanks Man sentenced to three years for drug cultivation

Fairbanks, Alaska -U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that a Fairbanks man was sentenced in federal court in Fairbanks for two counts of drug trafficking.

Johnathon Butterfield, 23, of Fairbanks, Alaska, also recently of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by Chief United States District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline to 37 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Cooper, who prosecuted the case, Butterfield was one of several persons involved in a cooperative venture to manufacture marijuana and to possess the drug with intent to distribute.  Butterfield pled guilty to conspiracy and also to one count of manufacturing the drug. 

In entering the sentence, Judge Beistline found that Butterfield had participated in cultivating more than five hundred marijuana plants in order to produce the marijuana intended for sale.  The court also found that he had possessed hand guns and ammunition in connection with his commercial operation.

Ms. Loeffler commends the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Alaska Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit for the investigation of this case.